The No. 3 Queens University of Charlotte women’s swimming team claimed first place overall in a field of 14 teams at this weekend’s Sheraton/Le Meridien Fall Frenzy at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center.

SEC swimming fans’ eyes are on Knoxville, Tennessee toight, as day 3 finals of the 2017 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships are underway. Tonight’s finals brings competition in the 400 IM, 100 fly, and 200 free for the men and women. Georgia’s Chase Kalisz and Florida’s Mark Szaranek highlight the men’s 400 IM, while a rematch between Texas A&M’s Sydney Pickrem and Tennessee’s Meghan Small looms on the women’s side. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel and Texas A&M’s Sarah Gibson will each be aiming for their 3nd individual SEC titles of the meet in the 100 fly. In the 200 free, Florida’s Maxime Rooney will be seeking his first SEC title as a freshman.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

Texas A&M’s Sydney Pickrem (4:02.25) lowered her personal best by 2 seconds en route to back-to-back SEC titles in the 400 IM. Pickrem took off on the backstroke leg to pass teammate Bethany Galat, never looking back to win the gold. Galat wound up 2nd, while Tennessee’s 200 IM champ Meghan Small touched 3rd. All 3 swimmers cleared the NCAA ‘A’ cut.

South Carolina’sEmma Barksdale had a big swim to take 4th in a personal best 4:06.07. She was just shy of the NCAA ‘A’ cut, but should still easily get an invite to the big meet. Georgia’s Emily Cameron followed to round out the top 5 in 4:07.69.

MEN’S 400 IM

Georgia’s Chase Kalisz and Florida’s Mark Szaranek were stroke-for-stroke again in tongiht’s IM rematch.Szaranek once again thundered home, posting a 24.57 on the final 50 split, but Kalisz was able to hold him off, winning the race by 3 tenths. Kalisz’s time was a new SEC Meet Record. Szaranek’s time was a new personal best by almost 3 full seconds and a new Florida school record. Georgia’s defending champ Jay Litherland wound up 3rd in 3:40.84.

Auburn’s Joe Patching, the 2016 bronze medalist, was just off the podium tonight with a 4th place finish in 3:42.60, followed by South Carolina’s Tom Peribonio (3:43.45).

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

Texas A&M’s Sarah Gibson and Georgia’s Chelsea Britt were neck-and-neck into the finish, but Gibson got her hands on the wall first to win back-to-back titles in 50.71 ahead of Britt’s 50.93. That time for Gibson was a new SEC Meet Record. Tennessee’s Maddy Banic earned the final podium spot in 51.50.

Auburn’s Haley Black (51.80) and Texas A&M’s Beryl Gastaldello (50.82) were also sub-52 to place 4th and 5th respectively.

MEN’S 100 FLY

Florida’s Caeleb Dressel unleashed the 4th fastest performance of all time to lower his own meet record and win the gold with a lightning fast 44.21. Teammate Jan Switkowski secured the Gator 1-2, taking silver in 45.59 ahead of Missouri’s bronze medalist Andrew Sansoucie (45.82).

MEN’S 3-METER DIVING

Tyler Henschel, Texas A&M, 478.40

Juan Celaya-Hernandez, LSU, 469.95

Liam Stone, Tennessee, 442.90

Texas A&M’s Tyler Henschel set a new SEC Record en route to his 3-meter diving gold, winning with a score of 478.40. LSU’s Juan Celaya-Hernandez was also under the former SEC Record with a score of 469.95 for 2nd place. Tennessee’s Liam Stone (442.90) edged out Florida’s Samuel Smith (440.20) to take bronze.

MEN’S 200 FREE

Florida freshman Maxime Rooney shattered his own 17-18 NAG Record of 1:33.05 from prelims, lowering his best time by almost a full second to win gold in 1:32.18. He finished a second and a half ahead of the field, as teammate Khader Baqlah (1:33.65) out-touched South Carolina’s Fynn Minuth (1:33.67) for the silver.

MEN’S TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 3

1. Florida, University of 759.5 2. Georgia, University of 537
3. Auburn University 495.5 4. Alabama, University of 415.5
5. Texas A&M University 414 6. Tennessee, University of, Knox 409.5
7. South Carolina, University of, 380 8. Louisiana State University 340
9. Missouri, University of 326.5 10. Kentucky, University of 248.5

WOMEN’S TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 3

1. Texas A&M University 729 2. Georgia, University of 601
3. Auburn University 493 4. Tennessee, University of, Knox 454
5. Missouri, University of 430 6. Kentucky, University of 406
7. Florida, University of 331 8. Louisiana State University 291
9. South Carolina, University of, 248 10. Alabama, University of 221
11. Arkansas, University of, Fayet 146 12. Vanderbilt University 30

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona and the University of Florida. She got her M.S. in Criminology from Florida State and seems exceptionally confused about which team she should cheer for during the college football season. Lauren is currently a coach at Loggerhead Aquatics …